Failure to investigate
alleged human rights violations in Karamoja region guarantees impunity
Amnesty International is concerned that the government of Uganda has
failed to date to ensure thorough, prompt and independent investigations
into frequent reports of human rights violations, including possible
unlawful killings, by the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF), in the
Karamoja region thereby ensuring impunity for the perpetrators. The
alleged violations have been committed in the course of an ongoing
disarmament process in the area.

Most recently, sections of the media report that up to 40 corpses
have been discovered in Kalosarich near the border of Moroto and
Kotido. They were allegedly suspected cattle rustlers killed by UPDF
soldiers. There have been other reports of human rights violations by
UPDF soldiers in the last ten months, which the government has dismissed
as untrue, and not investigated.

• In January up to 20 people were allegedly killed during a UPDF
helicopter gunship military attack targeting cattle rustlers in Kotido
district of Karamoja. It is not clear if these people were armed or were
members of armed cattle rustling groups.

• In April up to 30 people were apparently killed by UPDF
soldiers during a raid in Regen sub-county of Kotido district. This raid
was ostensibly to recover animals from members of suspected Jie cattle
rustlers.

• Between January and June up to 15 people were said to have been
killed by UPDF soldiers under unclear circumstances in different
instances where the soldiers were engaged in fighting with and/or
disarmament exercises targeting alleged armed cattle rustlers in Moroto
district.

During these and other security operations UPDF soldiers have
allegedly used torture and other illtreatment especially while
undertaking searches. There have been reports of UPDF soldiers removing
suspects' teeth, burning suspects using hot metals and hitting the
muscles and veins of men around the anus and the testis. According to
these reports such treatment is used against people suspected of being
cattle rustlers and/or who the UPDF suspect are opposed to the
disarmament exercise.